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The problem being that as the rubber tires get older, they shrink and crack. Eventually they split completly i.e. the tires on RID Optimus Prime. Has anyone used Flex Steel to seal the tires so to either fix them as they begin to split or before they split.

Even without exposure, the rubber just breaks down over time. Though I want aware sun had an impact, honestly. I guess it could explain the relatively good status of my G2 release G1 prime and G2 Sideswipe and Jazz from when I was a kid.

UV exposure, oxidation...it's a softer material due to organic materials as well as moisture so I would hazard a guess just drying in general would kill them. Plastics were never meant for longevity. The breakdown, as I remember from school, is 500 years but that's down to the smallest molecules at that point. It slowing disintegrates otherwise. This is true for abs, vinyl (PVC) and I believe Nylon.

Speaking of which. I noticed that the rubber tires of Encore issues tend to whiten than the original 1984 to 1986 versions. Maybe different type of rubber used?

Btw, concerning RID, I initially owned the USA (2002) version of Omega Prime, UM didn't have any split tire issues but my Optimus' left big wheel got split a few years later. I later got rid (pardon the pun) of both and purchased the Japanese version, around 3 years later.

fenrir72 wrote:Speaking of which. I noticed that the rubber tires of Encore issues tend to whiten than the original 1984 to 1986 versions. Maybe different type of rubber used?

Btw, concerning RID, I initially owned the USA (2002) version of Omega Prime, UM didn't have any split tire issues but my Optimus' left big wheel got split a few years later. I later got rid (pardon the pun) of both and purchased the Japanese version, around 3 years later.

This thread is starting to scare me. Fortunately, I apply automotive lubricant (for dashboards, rubber liners on doors etc.) to the rubber tires of all my TF's. This will at least minimize the risks of dry-rot, and hopefully prevent it.

Look up the Smithsonian. They faced the same problems with the old spacesuits form the Apollo missions and so on. Seems just like GPS the rubberized parts dry from the inside out over time. 15 years ago they still didn't have a solution to the problem. Means we shall have serious issues with Beast Wars Dragon Megatron & Cryotek. If anyone has the original decoys... has anyone notice a stickyness to them? That is the chemical breakdown in progress, its an estrogen like chemical. The Smithsonian figures the best rubberized plastic has a fifty year lifespan.

I got my RID Optimus Prime, Missing two front tires, his missiles, and his pistol. Electronics still work, and the back tires are all in perfect condition. Couldnt complain about the price. Free.

The Pistol and Missiles didnt bug me so much, but not having those front tires irked me. I had a Radio Shack XMODS Custom RC car kit for ages, and never got it to run again, and thought what the hell, and slapped the tires on. A bit of a chore getting them in place, but they fit perfectly.

If you can find a couple X MOD tires, they'll do ya just fine.

Of course, the front tires are a different size, right? So maybe not, unless your front tires are splitting.

The average temperature in my country of origin is about 28 to 34 C. And I store my G1 TFs in a cabinet display case away from sunlight and in a occasionally air conditioned room.

So I advise to treat your rubber tires every month or so if you live in the same weather condition as I have, especially the tires of Wheeljack,Jazz,Sideswipe and Red Alert(more so on the last two). They tend to dry out more quickly (due to the thin design).

Same with Shockwave and Starconvoy (the Encores ' wheels I noticed get white faster than the old ones).

Optimus Prime's "desert dog" tires in the Ultra Magnus re-issue are a bit notorious in whitening. Surprising that in Encore Trailbreaker, no whitening(?). Hotspot (kind of a soft version of Hound tires) also needs TLC. Hound, Inferno and Grapple haven't shown any but I treated them just the same.

Encore /TFC "Datsun" series 'bots also has the "whitening"/ dry out effect. Skids,Sunstreaker,Ironhide and Ratchet(same wheel type btw).

Kup has a different tire type(for those who own the one with the rubber type front wheels) which is thin also require a treatment. Same with Wreck-gar.